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Posted by Editoress on 04/2/05
Uxbridge Icebreaker Postponed
Courtesy Organizer
As of 12 noon we have been in the grips of a winter storm here in Uxbridge that shows no sign of slowing. With close to six inches of wet snow falling in the last 5 hours and little hope of a change of weather for Sunday we have decided to postpone the event to Sunday April 10th. All riders that have pre-registered for the event that cannot make it next Sunday can get a refund or credit their registration to another Trek Enduro Event.
After 13 years of organizing the icebreaker in all types of weather conditions we felt it best to postpone the event rather than organize an arctic death march where little or no riding could take place.
Registration for the icebreaker will remain open until next Friday April 8th. Registrations can be dropped off at TrailBlazers on the Danforth just east of Greenwood until Thursday noon. We hope that all riders will understand this decision has been made with the interests of the event and the safety of those planning on travelling to the event. If you have any concerns contact iceman at 905-852-5544.
Website has registration forms and other infomation.
Happy Birthday to...... Eric Orschel, who will actually have time to celebrate his birthday tomorrow!
Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top |


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Live episodes to air from famed New York venue as TV's top summer series begins eighth season
NBC's top-rated summer series "America's Got Talent" is moving into Radio City Music Hall, one of the nation's most storied and historic venues, for its upcoming eighth season.
The show will air live from Radio City Music Hall twice a week when live episodes begin on Tuesday, July 23 (9 p.m.), and Wednesday, July 24 (8 p.m.). The premiere date for the series is Tuesday, June 4 (9 p.m.), and will begin its regular hour-long Wednesday edition on July 10 (8 p.m.).
"There are few entertainment shrines in the world that are as venerated as Radio City Music Hall," said Paul Telegdy, president of alternative and late night programming for NBC Entertainment. "Many of America's greatest performers have graced this legendary stage, and now 'AGT' will have the rare opportunity to discover greatness in this renowned venue. This move - coupled with the addition of Mel B and Heidi Klum joining our judges' panel of Howie Mandel and Howard Stern - takes the show to a new and even more exciting level."
This year, supermodel, producer and TV host Heidi Klum joins high-octane entertainer and former Spice Girl Mel B as the newest judges. They will take their seats on the judges' table alongside outspoken radio personality and author Howard Stern and comedian, TV host and producer Howie Mandel. Actor, producer and comedian Nick Cannon returns as host.
Radio City Music Hall, which is located in New York's famed Rockefeller Center and opened in 1932, holds nearly 6,000 seats and has long been the home of the world famous Rockettes, who star in the annual "Radio City Christmas Spectacular." The famed theater, which has been visited by millions of visitors from around the world, is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It has housed thousands of events during its nearly 81 years as one of New York's most important landmarks and cultural centers, including many awards shows, the NFL Draft, Cirque du Soleil presentations and, incredibly, various sports events.
The 2012 edition of "America's Got Talent" ranked as the No. 1 summer series on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and total viewers, marking the seventh-straight year the show finished as the No. 1 summer series in total viewers. The series is a celebration of the American spirit, featuring a colorful array of hopeful stars, including singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists, all vying for their chance to strut and perform on stage hoping to win America's hearts — and the $1 million prize.
For more on "AGT," visit NBC.com's official show site: http://www.nbc.com/americasgottalent/. Fans can like "AGT" on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/nbcagt and follow it on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nbcagt.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wondering how to get started? Here are a few tips:
1. Invite your players
Invite them with either their email address or their Obsidian Portal username.
2. Edit your home page
Make a few changes to the home page and give people an idea of what your campaign is about. That will let people know you're serious and not just playing with the system.
3. Choose a theme
If you want to set a specific mood for your campaign, we have several backgrounds to choose from. Accentuate it by creating a top banner image.
4. Create some NPCs
Characters form the core of every campaign, so take a few minutes to list out the major NPCs in your campaign.
A quick tip: The "+" icon in the top right of every section is how to add a new item, whether it's a new character or adventure log post, or anything else.
5. Write your first Adventure Log post
The adventure log is where you list the sessions and adventures your party has been on, but for now, we suggest doing a very light "story so far" post. Just give a brief overview of what the party has done up to this point. After each future session, create a new post detailing that night's adventures.
One final tip: Don't stress about making your Obsidian Portal campaign look perfect. Instead, just make it work for you and your group. If everyone is having fun, then you're using Obsidian Portal exactly as it was designed, even if your adventure log isn't always up to date or your characters don't all have portrait pictures.
That's it! The rest is up to your and your players.


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Guardiola, 41, who took a sabbatical from football after four years at Barça, has been suggested as the man most likely to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United or as the next permanent manager at Chelsea.
Guardiola's confirmation that he is now looking to return to the game will spark renewed competition for the services of the man who steered Barcelona to 14 trophies in four seasons.
Guardiola told a news conference at the Fifa Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich: "Yes I would like to come back to coaching.
"I have been out of coaching for a year and it's what I would like but there is no reason to give any more specific details.
"I don't have a team to go to but I would like to go back to coaching. I have taken a decision to return to coaching but beyond that no decision has been taken."
Asked if he would consider Bayern Munich, who have also been linked with a move for him, Guardiola replied that it would be a "lack of respect" to talk about any team which currently has a coach.
Guardiola, who has been living in New York, said he had kept a close eye on Barça since leaving the club.
He added: "I keep on watching Barcelona on TV and it's a great show, a great team and I'm just a fan."
He also dismissed reports he would coach the Brazil national side at the 2014 World Cup in the South American country - Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed for a second spell in charge last month.
"I think it has to be someone from their own country," he said. "Scolari is one of many world-class coaches from Brazil."


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Facebook Wants to Supply Your Internet Driver's License
Although it's not apparent to many, Facebook is in the process of transforming itself from the world's most popular social-media website into a critical part of the Internet's identity infrastructure. If it succeeds, Facebook and Facebook accounts will become an even bigger target for hackers.
As security professionals debate whether the Internet needs an "identity layer"—a uniform protocol for authenticating users' identities—a growing number of websites are voting with their code, adopting "Facebook Connect" as a way for anyone with a Facebook account to log into the site at the click of a button.
Facebook introduced Connect back in July 2008, offering third-party websites tools to coordinate with the user information that Facebook holds, including logins. Thus websites had the option of allowing Facebook users to identify themselves with their Facebook identities.
So, for instance, the Web statistics vendor Alexa gives new users the choice of creating an account by entering a username and a password or by simply clicking the "Connect with Facebook" button. Well-known websites that also use Connect include the Internet Movie Database, Ask.com, and ESPN. Others will almost certainly jump on the bandwagon in 2011.
Facebook's identity system might very well supply something that VeriSign, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google have all struggled to offer: a single "driver's license" for the Internet. (This leaves aside the question of whether it's a good thing for one company to hold such a position of power.)
A unique combination of factors makes Facebook well suited to being the repository for people's identities on the Internet. Unlike many popular websites, it requires users to register and log in. And Facebook's terms of service require that "users provide their real names and information"—indeed, Facebook has terminated accounts that were created with seemingly fake names or for fictional characters. Since Facebook users invest their accounts with a tremendous amount of durable personal content—including photographs, contact information, and connections to their social network—they are likely to keep a long-term relationship with the site.
This persistence of real identity puts Facebook in a position to solve one of the most pressing problems on the Internet today—the proliferation of user names and passwords.
Contrary to today's practice, there is no reason for most websites to force their users to create usernames and passwords. Most websites don't need or even want or need to manage the identities of their users—they simply want a way to reliably identify their users over time. Media websites, for instance, want to be able to attribute comments and limit spam. Personal-finance websites want to give users a way to monitor highly personal information securely—for example, a portfolio of stocks that the user might enter.
What's more, maintaining a user-identity infrastructure has its risks—as was made painfully clear last month when hackers broke into servers operated by Gawker Media and downloaded the user names and passwords for more than a million of Gawker's accounts. Even though the passwords were encrypted, many were easy to guess, so the accounts could be readily cracked, according to an analysis of the attack by security researchers at the University of Cambridge. Following the attack several unrelated websites, including LinkedIn and Woot, sent e-mail to their users warning them to change their passwords if these were the same ones as they used for Gawker.
Facebook Login lets any website on the planet use its identity infrastructure—and underlying security safeguards. It's easy to implement Facebook Login, simply by adding few lines of code to a web server. Once that change is made, the site's users will see a "Connect with Facebook" button. If they're already logged into Facebook (having recently visited the site), they can just click on it and they're in. If they haven't logged in recently, they are prompted for their Facebook user name and password.
An interesting side benefit for website operators is that Facebook Login provides the site with users' real names (in most cases) and optionallya variety of other information, such as the users' "friends" and "likes." Currently, Facebook doesn't charge websites to use its identity infrastructure or access this additional information, though Facebook certainly could in the future.
Facebook is already well acquainted with Internet security issues, simply because it holds personal data for more than 500 million people. The increased use of the Facebook platform for things beyond social media—a bank in New Zealand, for instance, announced in November that it would allow customers to access banking information on Facebook—obviously raises new concerns. And if the company extends its reach to offer a universal login on the Web, the challenges it's likely to face will become greater still.
Indeed, over the last few years Facebook has taken steps to improve the security of its platform in several ways.
For example, last year Facebook introduced a system that lets users request a one-time password to log in from a public terminal that might have keystroke-logging spy software installed. Users send an SMS text message containing the letters "otp" to 32665 ("FBOOK") from a registered cell phone, and Facebook's servers send back a password that can be used just once to log into the user's account. The theory is that it doesn't matter if a hacker is running a password sniffer, since the password won't work a second time.
Another innovation is the way that Facebook allows users to monitor the various Web browsers and devices from which they log into Facebook. By clicking on the "Account Settings" pull-down menu and selecting the "Account Security" section, Facebook users are able to see all of the devices currently authenticated, any of which can be remotely logged out—useful if you happen to leave yourself logged in on your parents' computer. You can also have Facebook send an SMS notification to your cell phone whenever a new device accesses your Facebook account. Of course, if you see a connection from a machine that you don't recognize, it's time to change your password.
Unfortunately, Facebook still has two important vulnerabilities that makes its website significantly less secure than those of most U.S. banks: its reliance on a single user name and password to gain access to an account, and its use of an unencrypted cookie for tracking which web browsers are logged in.
The user name and password combo provide a point of weakness. Facebook accounts can be compromised by an attacker who might steal this information from another site—or guess it by trying many combinations in succession (a so-called brute-force attack).
"We've built systems to protect against these types of brute-force attacks," says Simon Axten, a spokesperson for Facebook. "For example, if we detect a number of suspicious login attempts for a given account, we will require a CAPTCHA, and we may even temporarily suspend access to the account."
Facebook monitors a number of "signals," including location and device, Axten says, to determine when an account is being subjected to a sustained attack. "Once we've flagged an attempt—even if the correct login credentials have been entered—we'll require the person logging in to provide additional authentication by, for example, answering a security question, entering a code sent via SMS, or identifying friends tagged in photos to which the account owner has access."
Nonetheless, there are ways to gain access to a person's Facebook account even without knowing the password. That's because Facebook uses something called an authentication cookie to keep track of a Web browser when it's logged in. Unlike Facebook passwords, which are encrypted when they're sent over the Internet, the cookies are sent to Facebook's non-encrypted Web servers every time a computer communicates with the site. This isn't much of a risk if you are using a hard-wired Internet connection or an encrypted wireless connection at work or at home. But if you are using Facebook over an unencrypted wireless access point at a coffee shop or airport, someone running a packet sniffer on a laptop could steal your authentication cookie out of the air and then log into Facebook as you.
Such sniffing became easier than ever to perpetrate last fall, when Eric Butler, a freelance Web application and software developer in Seattle, released a Firefox plug-in called Firesheep that automates the process. With Firesheep running inside Firefox, you get a list of every authentication cookie that's been sniffed: just click on the account name and—voilà—you are accessing the user's account without even having to log in.
Right now the only way to protect yourself against cookie sniffing is by accessing Facebook using the encrypted connection at https://ssl.facebook.com/. According to Axten, the server is still undergoing testing and will be more widely promoted as an option "in the coming months." He adds, "As always, we advise people to use caution when sending or receiving information over unsecured Wi-Fi networks."
Axten says, "Facebook faces a security challenge that few, if any, other companies, or even governments, have faced—protecting more than 500 million people on a service that is under constant attack. The fact that less than one percent of Facebook users have ever encountered a security issue on the site is a significant achievement of which we are very proud."
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Coloradolady welcomes you to the first November Vintage Thingies Thursday. Please take the time to visit http://coloradolady.blogspot.com for a great vintage feature.
Back in 1990, while working in Dallas, there was a big flood. This bucket was given out as reminder of this terrible occasion.
This is a vintage (White) mop bucket with wooden rollers. I have had this since the 1960's. It would still get the job done, but it definitely is not used by me anymore.


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"A nurse put me on a stretcher and tied my hands and feet," said Sabina Huillca. "I asked them to bring me my little baby girl but instead they anesthetized me. When I woke up, the doctor was stitching my stomach. I started screaming, I knew I had been sterilized."
In Peru, during the presidency of Alberto Fujimori, 272,000 women and 22,004 men were sterilized between 1996 and 2000 as part of the National Reproductive Health and Family Planning Program. Most of the men and women were indigenous, poor, and living in rural areas. The program's alleged aim was to eradicate poverty through lower birth rates, but evidence has emerged over the years that it was coercive and blatantly violated reproductive rights.
Over 2,000 women have testified that medical practitioners performed the procedures against their will. In many cases, the women did not speak enough Spanish to understand what they were consenting to and in some cases, providers did not even go through the motions of obtaining informed consent. Some women have shared stories of providers offering them money to have the procedure or intimidating them with threats or violence. Some women died due to complications and other women still suffer serious health complications today.
Last month, Public Prosecutor Marcelita Gutiérrez decided not to pursue charges of crimes against humanity against former President Fujimori and several staff members of the Ministry of Health. Gutiérrez stated that instances of forced sterilizations of indigenous women were not conclusive evidence that the practice was state policy and were, rather, isolated cases.
Some health providers tell a different story, saying that they were required by state officials to meet daily quotas. Dr. Hernando Cevallos, a leader of a regional medical doctor's union, for example, received an order to sterilize 250 women in 4 days in 1997.
Meanwhile, the victims and their allies are appealing the dismissal of the case and hoping to appeal to a higher court, such as the Inter-American Court. Tania Pariona, a newly elected member of the national Congress and indigenous activist, said of Gutiérrez's decision, "I believe we are facing a situation of shameful impunity in the country."
Congresswoman Pariona went on to highlight the scale of the reproductive health program (in terms of the number of people sterilized) during this period, pointing out that in many indigenous communities today there is not even a single ob-gyn to perform a safe delivery. More than 15 years after the end of this "reproductive health" program, the Peruvian state continues to fail indigenous women.
Thankfully, activists and organizations continue to make slow but significant progress in advancing the rights of indigenous communities and building the capacity of the next generation of advocates.
This past year, IWHC's partners REOJIP (Peruvian Network of Indigenous Youth) and Chirapaq (through its Center for Indigenous Peoples' Cultures of Peru) organized a series of trainings in Lima, Ayacucho, and Ucayali with 75 young indigenous men and women. These trainings ensure that young people are informed of their rights and have a safe space to discuss issues related to sexual and reproductive health. The workshops also offer youth a space to discuss and challenge stereotypes and biases about sexuality, gender, and relationships, all while affirming and strengthening their indigenous identity.
Chirapaq was formed in 1986 in Ayacucho, Peru, by a group of Andean and Amazonian women to defend indigenous rights and strengthen indigenous identity. Today, Chirapaq investigates violations of indigenous peoples' rights, offers human rights trainings, and works to document and preserve local culture.
After participating in these trainings, indigenous adolescents and young people not only are better informed of their rights, but many go on to form their own advocacy groups and replicate trainings in their communities.
In fact, Tania Pariona participated in CHIRAPAQ's workshops on cultural identity when she was 10 years old and later went on to participate in IWHC's Advocacy in Practice (AiP) trainings and has become a leading voice for indigenous rights in Peru and throughout the region.
IWHC and Chirapaq share the belief that awareness-raising and training are the first steps to nurture advocates who will go on to fight for the health and rights of women, girls, and young people.
Indigenous Peoples are putting their bodies on the line and it's our responsibility to make sure you know why. That takes time, expertise and resources - and we're up against a constant tide of misinformation and distorted coverage. By supporting IC you're empowering the kind of journalism we need, at the moment we need it most.


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My friend Mary was in town this weekend. Being the sweet friend that she is, she said that as soon as I had started blogging years ago, she knew it would be a great platform for me to grow my voice as a dietitian. I was so flattered! 🙂 She asked how my cookbook is coming along and the answer to that question is…splendidly! I only have 26 recipes to go! And, my publisher will not be expecting the final product until November 1st versus October 1st. Woop!
While that means this stress and insanity may continue another month, it means I can start to focus a bit more on blog recipes to share with YOU! Mr. Prevention has been thoroughly enjoying the remaking of so many of our favorites, while I have been living on a prayer that I can get home, have dinner made, and have the cookbook recipe photographed all before the natural daylight is gone. Seeing as the days are only getting shorter, this has been…challenging. It has also forced me to move my workouts to post-dinner which is even more challenging. I envy all of you late-evening exercisers. Donna is one of these people and I seriously struggle for the energy at that hour of the day. Of course the simple answer would be to move my workouts to the morning, and I may get there…but not yet. 😉
So while talking to Mary yesterday I was saying how the only recipe I have to share contains meat and what ever will I do for a Meatless Monday post? I was inspired while grocery shopping (honeycrisp apples are here!) and then perusing Pinterest. I whipped up a meatless masterpiece to share.
I tend to over-look the simple things in life. Yogurt + peanut butter — big whoop. It doesn't get any easier than that. But fortunately, it also doesn't get any more delicious that this….and I'm not even a peanut butter fanatic like some!
I didn't think it was possible for a honeycrisp apple to be anything more. But this dip takes my favorite apple up a whole notch.
I am taking this to work today and I'm going to share with the cook and the kitchen supervisor. Unless they disagree, I think this will even be served in the hospital cafeteria this week. One bite and lives will be changed forever.
No, seriously. Don't roll your eyes til you try!
[print_this]Peanut Butter Yogurt Fruit Dip adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
1 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
Combine the ingredients using a whisk in a small bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Yield: 5 servings (1/4 cup each)
Nutrition Information (per serving): 133 calories; 8.6 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 100 mg. sodium; 7.2 g. carbohydrate; 1.0 g. fiber; 8.4 g. protein
Result: My new favorite snack, without a doubt! Served with a small apple, this snack comes in right at 200-210 calories and is very filling. The portion size of dip is generous because, well, you'll probably have trouble saying no to more! Enjoy!
[/print_this]This weekend flew by…busy week ahead!
Be well,


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Main Page
This is the official wiki site for WormBase, the database of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and related nematodes. WormBase is developed by an international consortium of researchers and computer scientists.
To edit this Wiki, please create an account (click on the 'log in/create account' link at the top of the page). Before contributing, please see the WormBaseWiki usage guidelines.
Since its inception the C. elegans field has relied on the voluntary efforts of community-minded individuals to develop and organize key resources and meetings. As the field enters its second half-century, continued growth necessitates a more formal structure for such efforts. The Worm Board has been formed to advocate for C. elegans research internationally and to foster the continued development of community resources.
WormBoard Reports
- November 2020 -- Election Subcommittee Report (docx)
- August 2020
- July 2020
Using WormBase
User Guides
- Data mining - Learn about the methods for mining WormBase systematically
- Searching WormBase for Information About C. elegans (Wiley)
- Downloads - Download commonly requested files and datasets
- Submitting Data
General Information
- Installing WormBase on your own computer
- Editorial policy - WormBase editorial policy
Community Resources
- Overview of species' genomes available in WormBase
- C. elegans laboratories
- Meetings
- Worm Community Discussion Forum (Job postings)
- Software for nematode research
Reagents and Protocols
- Strains
- Reagents - Useful reagents from third-party sources
- Cosmids/YACs
- Fosmids
- Experimental protocols:
Web Resources
- Related web resources
- Microarray Data Sites
- Stanford Microarray Database (SMD) search page
- SMD gene-centric search page
- Jiang et al. (2001), PNAS 98, 218-223 (SMD data from Kim laboratory's 2001 microarray paper)
- SMD's FTP site
Staying up-to-date
WormBase offers a number of ways to stay up-to-date with new features and datasets, to make feature requests, and to ask for assistance with the database.
- Twitter: Status updates, Software commit messages
- Mailing Lists: General questions | Developers -- More...
- RSS Feeds: News and Status | Development News -- More Info
- WormBase Newsletters
- WormBook Announcements - low volume
Internal Documentation
- WormBase Staff Resources -- A guide to the tools available for WormBase staff


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The structure of the multiplicative groups of $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$ or of $\mathbb{Z}_p$ is the same for odd primes, but not for $2.$ Quadratic reciprocity has a uniform statement for odd primes, but an extra statement for $2$. So in these examples characteristic $2$ is a messy special case.
On the other hand, certain types of combinatorial questions can be reduced to linear algebra over $\mathbb{F}_2,$ and this relationship doesn't seem to generalize to other finite fields. So in this example characteristic $2$ is a nice special case.
Is anything deep going on here? (I have a vague idea here about additive inverses and Fourier analysis over $\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$, but I'll wait to see what other people say.)


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Red Bull made this video of Casey Stoner using a camera capable of shooting 1,000 frames per second, which makes for some stunning slow motion. Of course, since Red Bull can afford the most successful F1 team, I suppose they can afford some pretty nice cameras as well.
Outside that impolite bump from Valentino Rossi at Jerez (which led to a DNF), Stoner has been on the podium at every round this year, winning four times (out of seven race finishes) and taking pole position five times. If you look closely at the video, I think you can see the spokes in the rear wheel spinning a bit quicker than those in the front as Stoner exits the corner (despite a still severe lean angle).


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The economy of Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia. It possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves as well as minerals and metals. It also has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production, as well as developed space infrastructure, which took over all launches to the International Space Station from the Space Shuttle. Energy is the leading economic sector which includes the production of crude oil and natural gas condensate.
Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan. Almaty is the major commercial center of Kazakhstan.
Almaty has an overall cost of living index which equates it with middle cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups.
The latest cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is now available.


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Reconciling sacrifice with modern-day, Western values
Published March 16, 2011
In this week's Torah portion, Tzav, the Torah continues its description from last week of the sacrifices and their rituals. For us, living in the current period of time in the Western world, animal sacrifice is fairly foreign and seems in many respects barbaric. To us, perhaps reading about the sacrifices in the Torah – imagining the most central national Jewish space as a place of burning animal carcasses, flowing blood, incense burning and priests bathing – seems very…well, un-Jewish. How are we to understand the fact that the laws of the tabernacle and its sacrifices take up such a large portion of our holy Torah?
In the history of Jewish thought several approaches to sacrifices are presented. I will discuss two classical ones and one modern.
Nachmonides (b. 1194) saw the tabernacle and its sacrifices as a continuation of the Mount Sinai experience. God was revealed to us at the mountain and in the tabernacle and its successor the temple, God "dwelled" among the Jewish people. Sacrifices were used to atone for sin according to Nachmonides in order that the one who brings the sacrifice will comprehend that, "there but for the grace of God go I." Since human deeds are committed with thought, speech and action, the hands are first laid upon the sacrifice, verbal confession is then said, and the animal's body itself sacrificed before God, utilizing metaphorically all one's facilities for goodness in place of their use for the sin committed.
Maimonides (b. 1135) in his book of Jewish philosophy, "The Guide for the Perplexed" (3:32), in contrast to Nachmonides, sees prayer as the true mode of relating to God, but he says, God gave sacrifices to the Jewish people at that time since after living in Egypt they were used to the idea of idol worship. And so God said, instead of sacrificing animals and bringing incense to idols do it for me in a temple of God. But sacrifices, while required by that generation of Jews, is by no means the best way of connecting to the Divine.
Lastly, I would like to quote the words of a modern Reform Jewish commentator, Rabbi Gunther Plaut, who emphasizes the sanctity garnered from the sacrificial rite: "I object vigorously when I hear people say that we moderns have progressed beyond such practices (of sacrifice)….we have retrogressed in essential areas upon which biblical sacrifice was founded…Most of the offerings were shared meals…in an atmosphere of prayer and devotion…an experience in an awe inspiring religious setting which impressed itself more on the participants than a mumbled berkat hamazon (grace after meals prayer)…offering the olot (totally burnt offerings) meant to give a valuable animal without deriving any measurable human benefit from them, purely for the love of God. How often do we do this in any form or fashion?"
Though we do not have sacrifices today, and perhaps that is for the best according to Maimonides, it seems we have much to learn from our Torah's teachings about sacrifices.
Shabbat Shalom.
D'var Torah: Tzav
Rabbi Hyim Shafner serves Bais Abraham Congregation and is a member of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association.


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L. L. Cool J - Intro lyrics
[ll cool j]
Ayo this is the infiniteintelligentextravagant and eloquent
That shit y'all talkin is irrelevant
I put it down from the gutter to the tenement
It's ll cool j niggaeverything I do is excellent
And I got to representq-borothe thorough
Y'knawmean? we get downwe get down baby
Check this shit out right hereuh
E pluribus unum is the album i'ma drop
It'll make you bitch niggas as hard as rocks
Givin head to the glockpretend it's hard cock
Splashin niggas I came slow through the block
I'mthe originalvisualindividual
Ten times platinum your career's lookin critical
Reach for thismotherfuck being a criminal
Look in your bitch eyesthe vibe is subliminal
You wanna freestyle fuck that
I need at least seven figures to even touch that
But since everybody was underestimatin' my format
I dropped ill bomb and now niggas want more of that
Aint a rapper dead or alive fuckin wit me
Ask the last bitch that tried to come and get me
Talk about paperI can talk about broads
I can talk about moviesI can talk about awards
Fuck the fantasiesyo I got all four
And 2001'll be mineby law
Why name the greatest of all times?
Because for fifteen years I kept y'all standin in line
Lovin the way I shine and my lyrics combine
With the ruggedestillest beats that def jam can find
Fuck them other niggas with their 9 or 10 hits
My hits run deep as the emotions of your bitch
Back in the days it was the m fast stick
But now the bentley is all get more whores on the dick
This ones for clue and my riker's island niggas
That remember when I came through
The big o b c c h d m 2 c 74
Little nasi and the crewy'all niggas come home
Aint no doubt about ite pluribus unum
Out of many onethe g.o.a.t.greatest of all time...


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Parents as Partners Episode 44 April 4, 2011 Dr. Joyce Epstein National Network of Partnership School
Joyce talked about t the National Network of Partnership Schools and how School Family and Community Partnerships support student success. Dr. Epstein explained how deliberate and measured results can be obtained by developing teams of teachers, parents and community members whose purpose is to support student success.
Jose Rodriguez joined Lorna, Peggy and Kim adding his expertise in streaming the Elluminate session on ustream.
Link to the elluminate recording: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/playback.jnlp?psid=2011-04-04.1800.M.E48372280A56C678D78541C932B6B4.vcr&sid=2008350
Apr 4, 2011 7:59:35 PM - PARENTS AS PARTNERS
01:25 - Peggy George
the joys of technology!! I love that Dr. Epstein can join us via telephone! Such a wonderful opportunity for us!
01:28 - Kim Caise
puentes al mundo
02:31 - Peggy George
Jose was a great facilitator for the Spanish-speaking community for the K12 Online Conference!
02:32 - Jose Rodriguez
02:33 - Kim Howland
I am
03:06 - Peggy George
how exciting! great to have "newbies" here! Feel free to ask questions any time in the chat and we'll be happy to help you.
03:33 - Peggy George
much easier to see a big chat window if you use the wide layout.
04:12 - Peggy George
I hope you're all hearing the audio now. If you're not let us know in the chat
04:32 - Kelly
Sounds great.
04:45 - Rangel
I agree sounds great
05:23 - Peggy George
finally a cooler day today in Phoenix AZ! We hit 102 degrees a few days ago but only about 90 today.
05:52 - Peggy George
now that's worse :-)
05:56 - Peggy George
yeah! perfect!
06:24 - Peggy George
you click on the green check/red x at the bottom of the participant list of names
06:24 - Kim Caise
06:25 - Kim Howland
06:26 - Elizabethhaigh 2
C: Administrator
06:28 - Bob
06:31 - Rangel
06:31 - Kelly
Professional Development Facilitator
06:37 - Peggy George
no abcd choice
06:38 - Brendan Murphy
06:40 - Bob
Parent - Teacher - Grad Student
06:43 - nikki
06:45 - Rangel
07:01 - Peggy George
professional development consultant :-)
07:12 - Bob
Is that like a co-op programme?
07:17 - Peggy George
and retired elementary principal and university pre-service instructor
07:41 - Peggy George
I had a school partnership team when I was a principal :-)
08:37 - Peggy George
what is NNPS ...link to website .. www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/
08:52 - Peggy George
09:11 - Peggy George
Welcome Joyce!!!
09:24 - Rangel
Hello Joyce!
10:04 - Peggy George
I love that these sessions are recorded so we can share them with colleagues who aren't able to attend the live session!
11:24 - Peggy George
(Inter)National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University NNPS :-)
12:11 - Peggy George
it's so powerful to have a research base for implementing these partnerships!!
12:46 - Lorna Costantini 1
HI Sheila nice to see u
13:03 - Peggy George
partnership is such a great term because the emphasis is that we are all in this together with a common goal!
13:09 - Sheila
Hi all - sorry that I am late
13:19 - Peggy George
Hi Sheila! Welcome to Elluminate :-)
13:37 - Lorna Costantini 1
not late
14:35 - Peggy George
For Dr. Epstein' publications, see the Publications List in the section Research and Evaluation. http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/publications.htm
17:23 - Peggy George
parents really want to be involved in their child's education--beyond bake sales and parent/teacher conferences :-)
18:03 - Peggy George
healthy school is an interesting term--makes sense
18:45 - Peggy George
how do you do all of that assessment without feeling overwhelmed??
18:52 - Sheila
Do goals have to be measurable to be good goals?
19:34 - Peggy George
maybe measurable but not always "quantifiable"--based on scores or numbers
19:39 - Brendan Murphy
How can parents get involved in curriculum decisions?
20:11 - Peggy George
there are so many ways to assess success/progress but the public tends to look for test scores
22:30 - Peggy George
I was really wondering about all of the assessments and the collection of data--schools, principals and teachers have so much of this to do and it can be really overwhelming. Can you build that kind of partnership with less time spent on collecting data?
23:30 - Peggy George
@Brendan our School Site Council was involved in curriculum, policy and budget decisions for our school with representatives from parents, community members, teachers, administrators (elementary so we didn't have students on our council)
24:38 - Peggy George
25:19 - Peggy George
do you have ways of collaborating that don't require meetings?
26:21 - Peggy George
26:43 - Sheila
need a key communicator with parents - who?
27:00 - Peggy George
that is so wonderful to have success stories posted so we can learn from their experiences!
27:10 - Peggy George
great question Sheila!
27:32 - Sheila
always more questions than answers! :)
27:46 - Peggy George
so true...
29:38 - Sheila
I think I see two twitter friends here right now...:)
30:09 - Peggy George
some parents just can't or don't want to come to meetings. they are often held in evenings when they feel they need to be helping their kids with homework, spending time with family, after school activities for kids, etc.
30:09 - Kim Howland
30:35 - Sheila
Hi Kim!
30:45 - Peggy George
31:07 - Sheila
So important to hook dads!
31:59 - Cameron
Sorry if this has been covered, but where might I buy a book?
32:02 - Peggy George
I really like this list on Joyce's site-6 types of involvement http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/nnps_model/school/sixtypes.htm
32:07 - Kim Howland
BC parents have used Joyce's materials for years Her work has been a key source to helping us build a strong parent invovlement in our province. :-)
32:23 - Jennifer Voorhees
What are ways that people are getting dads and father figures involved? This "Dangerous Dads" sounds interesting.
32:23 - Bob
where are you Kim
32:31 - Kim Howland
Nanaimo BC
32:37 - Bob
Victoria :)
32:44 - Bob
33:06 - Kim Howland
nice to meet you Bob :-)
33:18 - Peggy George
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/publications/manual.htm Handbook for Action
34:03 - Peggy George
we got our dads to come out when we had BBQs at school, often right before little league games/practice :-)
34:08 - Bob
you too, we really should chat ... later
35:15 - Peggy George
17 minute video highlights the goals and services of NNPS http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/presentations.htm#Workshop
35:43 - Peggy George
such an important point!! it's the action that's important and not just talking about it
36:17 - Sheila
I think that: Action plan for partnerships
37:06 - Peggy George
@Cameron-did you get the answer to your question about where to buy the book? not sure which book you meant
37:13 - Cameron
yep - cheers
37:18 - Peggy George
37:37 - Sheila
good point!
38:33 - Sheila
Communications team/plan then?
38:36 - Peggy George
could you ask her to talk about her parent surveys and how they are used?
38:43 - Cameron
There is a tension/balance with embracing this idea (and its a cracking idea) and teachers having a work/life balance. IN my school a few of us use ICT to facilitate pretty great comms with parents but the cost is less down-time. I love my job but I don't want to do it for free
38:52 - Peggy George
39:38 - Peggy George
excellent point @Cameron and something I heard frequently from my teachers and parents too--challenge in finding balance in their lives
40:53 - Kim Howland
the more on the team to support the work, the more success and more time for each individual and the great benefit for the kids learning and outcomes
40:56 - Peggy George
we got our dads to show up for our family "Read Under the Stars" night where they brought picnics, blankets and flashlights for reading together--also had a huge telescope for them to view the stars :-)
41:16 - Sheila
Good idea for our PICs?
41:35 - Bob
hmmm could use that for mathematics too eh?
41:57 - Peggy George
that is so important to hear from all of those voices!
42:44 - Sheila
There are issues of trust when it is parent volunteers communicating at times...need clear guidelines?
42:59 - Bob
What are the surveys called?
43:06 - Bob
Are they available online?
43:20 - Lorna Costantini 1
The surveys are in the handbook
43:44 - Kim Howland
in my daughters elementary school, parent advisory council and school principal put out questionaire to ask dads what is your favorite hobbie, and would you like to volunteer to share that with some kids, had dads come in to teach painting, canoe building, building of motors - lawn mowers, motorcycles and coaching some sport games ... it was a great questionaire.. and we were told that the best part was that they were actually asked :-)... kids loved it, teachers loved it.. and the community was stronger
43:49 - Jennifer Voorhees
@ Peggy George - Thanks for some of the ideas for getting dads involved :)
44:14 - Peggy George
those team training days are so valuable because although you're "working" with a clear purpose you are also building relationships! we had team training days for our School Site Council to help them understand and develop school improvement plans
44:31 - Cameron
In terms of internal resourcing, did staff get line allowances or time-in-lieu to get these things off the ground?
44:34 - Sheila
Sounds great Kim!
45:01 - Peggy George
in our school the teachers got the day off for training days with subs provided for them
45:12 - Kim Howland
@sheila it was great to see our dads in the school and kids so excited to have them there
45:13 - Bob
Great idea Kim, thanks for sharing :)
45:13 - Jennifer Voorhees
It's amazing how diverse the activites were once the school asked for the dad's input.
45:33 - Peggy George
not just training days but really planning days for creating our school goals and action plans
45:42 - Peggy George
great point Jennifer!!!
46:25 - Sheila
fundraising doesn't catch dads as much, it seems
46:39 - Jennifer Voorhees
Do any schools do things to encourge a parent/community involvement during the summer to help prevent the summer slide?
46:43 - Peggy George
that is such a great suggestion Kim H!!! everyone feels valued when they are asked to do something that they feel comfortable doing
47:27 - Kim Howland
@ Jennifer - Our community has community schools in a few of our elementary / highschools and they run programs through the summer
47:39 - Peggy George
we used to send summer calendars home with the kids that were geared to one activity every day for their grade level--often hands-on activities and things families could do together
49:57 - Sheila
Not aware of any training this specific in Ontario
50:23 - Kim Howland
@peggy some of our teachers also did this through my childrens elementary years.
50:41 - Bob
In my recent survey research we found that parents would welcome math videos to support them and their children
50:56 - Bob
another close response was for mobile apps
51:04 - Kim Howland
@bob... that would have been great
51:07 - Bob
what do y'all think?
51:26 - Peggy George
I agree Bob!
51:31 - Kim Howland
love the apps idea at the highschool level for sure
51:49 - Bob
so now my supervisor has me working towards math video rubric and I still keep in mind mobile apps to help parents as well
52:01 - Kim Howland
52:08 - Bob
we are focusing upon grades 4-7
52:12 - Jennifer Voorhees
I could really see mobile apps working well. My son (7 years old) uses the apps on my phone & it would be great to have ones related to what he's doing in school
52:17 - Bob
parents of children in those grades
52:27 - Peggy George
that's a great way to do it Bob :-) when you're thinking apps you're thinking simple ways to communicate and learn
52:28 - Bob
52:38 - Kim Howland
that's a great place to start :-)
52:49 - Bob
I was a little surprised from our recent parent survey
52:54 - Jose Rodriguez
yep...there are 150 schools in my part of town
53:01 - Peggy George
wow Jose!
53:13 - Kim Howland
wow... we only have 41 in our whole district
53:26 - Peggy George
@Jose-are they all public schools?
53:26 - Bob
my supervisors brother has a programming development company
53:35 - Kim Howland
bob what grade group of parents did you survey?
53:43 - Jose Rodriguez
150 public plus charter and parochial
53:45 - Bob
have you ever downloaded Math Tappers software (iTunes)
54:11 - Kim Howland
@bob nope but I'll have to get my daughter to try it
54:15 - Peggy George
what level is that Bob?
54:16 - Bob
Grades 4 - 7 parents across Canada, but most from BC responded
54:31 - Sheila
we have 29 schools in our board - perfect! :)
54:39 - Bob
Math tappers are there stuff, we haven't gotten there yet.
54:58 - Bob
our parents suggested a small percentage higher for videos
55:05 - Bob
so that is what I have to look at now
55:09 - Jennifer Voorhees
It's also good to check out website compatibility with SmartPhones. First in Math for example works great on a Smart Phone. Schools should keep this in mind when selecting progams to purchase.
55:20 - Bob
but I think we still want to keep the apps in mind as well
55:24 - Peggy George
is the Math Tappers software for computers or mobile devices?
56:02 - Kim Howland
my daughters have used the math videos on learning network to help them through high school math homework and they found it very helpful.
56:16 - Sheila
Yes it is a juggle
56:17 - Bob
if we get something developed, we'd like it to work on non-apple products as well
56:30 - Kim Howland
56:40 - Bob
Math Tappers - iTunes
56:47 - Peggy George
how do you all help parents to help their kids with homework?? :-)
56:53 - Kim Caise
56:56 - Bob
these are samples from my supervisors brother work
57:22 - Lorna Costantini 1
57:49 - Peggy George
this Livebinder link has incredible resources for parenting in the 21st century :-)
57:52 - Bob
that is part of my dissertation work
58:05 - Peggy George
you'll spend hours exploring it and getting excited!
58:16 - Sheila
Should parents feel they have to help with homework? Some can't
58:22 - Peggy George
research, videos, PDF documents--fantastic stuff!
58:27 - Bob
I'm kinda getting anxious to graduate
58:33 - Peggy George
that was why I was asking that question Sheila :-)
59:07 - Kim Caise
i can relate @Bob
59:14 - Kim Howland
there is a role parents can still play around creating a place to do homework
59:15 - Peggy George
: how do you all help parents to help their kids with homework??
59:16 - Bob
Ahh for those parents that feel they can't do math, hopefully we'll be able to help ... even a little :)
59:20 - Kim Howland
support the time to do it
59:22 - Sheila
Peggy and I :)
59:22 - Peggy George
Sheila was responding to my question
59:38 - Kim Howland
and let them talk and share it with parents
59:50 - Peggy George
that was exactly what I was interested in hearing about!
1:00:03 - Peggy George
1:00:06 - Bob
it is so great to know there are professionals out there that care about parents as an important part of a child's educational process
1:00:14 - Peggy George
I agree Bob!
1:00:29 - Kim Howland
I agree too Bob :-)
1:00:42 - Bob
I get a feeling sometimes that I'm a little on the outside
1:00:52 - Bob
cause my focus isn't primarily teachers
1:01:11 - Bob
even though I'm in education
1:01:36 - Kim Howland
stay outside the box Bob... it will be a great outcome for our kids :-)
1:01:53 - Peggy George
and that's why the 6 kinds of involvement are so important--they don't always want to go to meetings to be involved but they all care about their kids' success and learning
1:02:04 - Kim Howland
bob my twitter is khforkids and we have a blog - 4Moms1Dream
1:02:10 - Rangel
This has been a very enlightening conversation. Thank you for helping bring it to light!
1:02:12 - Kim Howland
would love to stay in touch and talk more
1:02:21 - Bob
1:02:29 - Cameron
Thanks Joyce.
1:02:33 - Peggy George
fantastic conversation Joyce!!! Thank you so much for sharing your time and expertise with us!!
1:02:34 - Kim Caise
this was a fantastic session dr. epstein and lorna
1:02:38 - Kim Caise
thanks jose for streaming!
1:02:48 - Sheila
thanks for this opportunity!
1:02:52 - Bob
Thank You Dr Epstein :)
1:03:00 - Kim Caise
we appreciate you jose!
1:03:01 - Peggy George
what a bonus to have this streamed on EdTechTAlk too! Thanks Jose!
1:03:02 - Kim Howland
when will this be avaiable to share with others
1:03:20 - Bob
@ Kim: I don't twitter but will check blog
1:03:24 - Kim Caise
the links will be avialable shorlty at edtechtalk.com and at learncentral
1:03:25 - Jose Rodriguez
Thanks Lorna.. for this very important.. talk
1:03:28 - Kim Howland
thanks jose, peggy and lorna and Kim Caise
1:03:29 - Sheila
Check Lorna's site for the recording
1:03:32 - Jennifer Voorhees
Thanks Dr. Epstein. I enjoyed this sesson.
1:03:33 - Peggy George
The full recording with be posted on http://ourschool.ca and http://edtechtalk.com.
1:03:44 - Kim Caise
consider tweeting bob, lots of resources are shared in twitter
1:03:46 - Kim Howland
k thanks
1:03:54 - Jose Rodriguez
gotta run take care all
1:03:57 - Kim Caise
1:03:58 - Bob
Ontario parent org. are good
1:04:00 - Peggy George
thanks to everyone in the chat for sharing your ideas and experienceQ great learning with you!
1:04:06 - Jose Rodriguez
1:04:07 - Rangel
1:04:09 - Kim Caise
night all
1:04:16 - Kim Howland
night all
1:04:24 - Bob
thank you and good night everyone :)
1:04:30 - Kim Caise
bye all
- Log in to post comments


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Abramoff deals, Congress quakes
Washington's long-awaited "A-bomb" has gone off.
Super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff's guilty plea Tuesday to three felony counts sets the stage for the biggest congressional scandal perhaps in decades, certainly since the Republicans took over Congress 10 years ago, pledging clean government.
In exchange for his guilty pleas, in both the Washington case and a separate Florida case in which he was indicted last year, Mr. Abramoff will cooperate with federal prosecutors investigating members of Congress, Capitol Hill aides, and other lobbyists. Political players with ties to Abramoff and his network, who knew the lobbyist was preparing to cut a deal, have been sweating for months. Now they're sweating harder.
Though members of both parties are involved, analysts expect Republicans - who control both houses of Congress - to bear the brunt of the political fallout. Abramoff, who has close ties to former House majority leader Tom DeLay of Texas, allegedly funneled campaign donations to lawmakers, who were treated to lavish trips and meals, in exchange for official acts.
"It could end some careers," says Jennifer Duffy, an analyst at the non- partisan Cook Political report.
Stanley Brand, a Washington defense lawyer and former Democratic counsel to the House, predicts at least six members of Congress and at least as many staff will be convicted by the end of the year.
Besides Representative DeLay, who is already under indictment in Texas, other members who are already battling allegations over their associations with Abramoff include Sen. Conrad Burns (R) of Montana, Rep. Bob Ney (R) of Ohio, and Rep. John Doolittle (R) of California.
Federal campaign records show that about 220 members of Congress received some $1.7 million in political contributions from Abramoff and his associates and clients, including American Indian tribes, between 2001 and 2004. According to Bloomberg news service, 201 of those members are still in Congress; Republicans received 64 percent of that money.
Since the whiff of scandal began to emerge around Abramoff, members have been rushing to return his contributions or donate the money to charity. But not everyone who ever took Abramoff-related money or perks is guilty of wrongdoing.
"It's not enough to take a campaign contribution," says Mr. Brand. "What's criminal is accepting the contribution in return for an express agreement to perform an official act. Beyond campaign contributions, one can't accept bribes or gratuities of any kind in return for official acts." Members of the executive branch may also be implicated in the investigation, he says.
"The line between a bribe and a legal contribution is very thin, but it is that line that keeps you out of jail," says Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics. "The critical element is whether there was an understanding or agreement to take specific action in return for the money."
Abramoff joins former associate Michael Scanlon, former press secretary to DeLay, as a witness for the prosecution. Mr. Scanlon reached a plea deal last year, which raised the stakes for Abramoff. The Department of Justice says the two men defrauded Indian tribes they represented out of tens of millions of dollars.
In exchange for the guilty plea and cooperation, Abramoff would probably get a reduced prison sentence. In the Washington case, he faces a maximum of 10 years; in the Florida case, in which he is pleading guilty to fraud and conspiracy in the purchase of a casino cruise line, he could get as many as seven years.
"Up until now, I've said it will involve just a few members," says Mr. Noble. "But if they've reached a plea agreement with Abramoff, it means he's turned over people higher than him, and they must have some pretty strong evidence.
The explosion of the Abramoff scandal also represents bad news for the White House, just as President Bush is preparing for his Jan. 31 State of the Union speech - an effort to build on the momentum he started last month, after a stumbling first year to his second term.
All of Washington is looking ahead to next November's midterm elections, and whether Congress's low approval ratings and Republican woes in particular can grow big enough to swing control of one or both houses of Congress to the Democrats. Polls show that so far, the Democrats' charge that Republicans have created a "culture of corruption" has not seeped into public consciousness. But, analysts say, the 2006 campaign has not started in earnest, and it's too soon to say how the public is perceiving the corruption message.
"This will crowd out a lot of the news about the new Bush agenda," says Paul Light, a political scientist at New York University. "He'll be going up to the Hill to present his agenda, and meanwhile you have six, 12, 20 members desperately trying to return money to Abramoff, and another bunch wondering how they will look in an orange jump suit."
If the Bush White House tries to minimize the scandal, "it feeds the view that Bush doesn't take ethics seriously," says Professor Light. Last year, a top White House aide, I. Lewis Libby, was indicted in the scandal surrounding the public revelation of a CIA agent's identity.
For Congress as an institution, the Abramoff scandal reinforces prevailing attitudes that are already set in stone, says Light, who has studied the issue of trust in politics. "The American public has become inured to congressional scandals, and as long as members are bringing home enough pork, they basically say, a pox on both their houses."


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My Friend Pinto stars Prateik Babbar, Kalki Koechlin, Manisha Koirala, Naseruddin Shah and Divya Dutta. It is produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ronnie Screwvala, and is directed by Raghav Dar. It is set for release on October 14, 2011. Check out a movie synopsis and movie posters below!
Twenty-something Michael Pinto has grown up in a small Goan village, believing everyone in the world to be simple, kind and honest, just like him. His world revolves around a doting mother, a passion for music and the memories of a childhood friend, Sameer, who left Goa for Mumbai many years ago and hasn't replied to his frequent letters ever since. Pinto's talent for music is only matched by his knack for finding trouble in the unlikeliest of places often resulting in the most outlandish and hilarious situations. When Pinto's idyllic world is shattered by the sudden demise of his mother he decides to head to Mumbai in search of the only friend he knows. Will Pinto find Sameer or will trouble find him first? Will Pinto and his crazy antics survive the big bad city or more importantly, will Mumbai survive a phenomenon called Pinto?


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About Starting Point
The Starting Point project is exploring the ability of on-line resources to catalyze improvements in undergraduate teaching. Our goal is to develop a resource that intimately integrates pedagogy with teaching resources and fully supports a virtual community of educators. We attempt to bridge the gap between information about teaching methods and the everyday experiences of geoscience faculty by providing geoscience specific arguments and examples. In every case, we try to provide all of the information needed for a faculty member or graduate student to make an informed decision about the methodology that they use in a particular teaching situation, and to implement a technique easily and well.
Our site was first launched on July 22, 2003 with two sections: Teaching with Models and Using Socratic Questioning.
Starting Point was funded by a two-year grant from the NSF National Science Digital Library program which is administered by the Division of Undergraduate Education in the Education and Human Resources Directorate (Grant # 0226243).
The site content and navigation are created collaboratively by the Project PIs and Editors who are well known as leaders in geoscience education.
Two new projects building on the materials and model of the original Starting Point project have been developed:
- Pedagogy in Action a broad multidisciplinary portal to information on teaching methods that encompasses the original geoscience focused material in this site as well as materials from other disciplines including materials developed by:
- Starting Point: Teaching and Learning Economics a portal with the same structure focused on pedagogies and activities relevant to economics educators.
Project PIs
- Cathy Manduca - Carleton College
- Mary Savina - Carleton College
- Dorothy Merritts - Franklin & Marshall College
- Laura Guertin - Penn State University, Delaware County
- Heather Macdonald ( This site may be offline. ) - College of William and Mary
- Bob Mackay - Clark College
- Martin Ruzek - University Space Research Association
- Ethel Stanley - Beloit College
- Margaret Waterman ( This site may be offline. ) - Southeast Missouri State University
- Rusanne Low - University of Minnesota
- Rebecca Teed - Carleton College
The technical infrastructure is created by the staff of the Science Education Resource Center under the direction of Sean Fox at Carleton College. Project and product evaluation are done in consulation with Flora McMartin.
The Starting Point site is technically a portal to the Starting Point digital library collection. It is created using the SERC content management system which incorporates the DLESE Collection Service. (Manduca and Fox, 2003)
Opportunities to Participate
- We invite you to contribute examples of the ways in which you use the methods described in this site in your teaching. If you would like to submit an example, please contact the module editor.
- We are actively seeking participants in the formative evaluation of our site. If you would like to become part of our review team please contact Cathy Manduca
- There are limited opportunities to join the project as an editor. If you are interested in authoring a module and willing to commit one month of time, please contact Cathy Manduca
Contact Us
- About the project: Cathy Manduca email@example.com
- About the website: Sean Fox email@example.com
Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Plastipak Packaging, a major producer and supplier of plastic bottles to internationally-branded companies such as Dr. Pepper, PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz and Procter & Gamble, will significantly expand their Garland manufacturing operation later this year. As just approved by the City, this major investment will realize $10 million in new valuation at Plastipak's production facility and add six new jobs to their current workforce of 273 full-time positions over the next three years.
Plastipak's main plant, located at 3201 Miller Park N, has been in continuous operation in Garland since 1996. Their nearly 400,000 square feet production facility will receive this major capital investment to better support current and future business needs primarily through enhanced machinery and equipment. Plastipak also maintains nearly 500,000 square feet of additional space at two other Garland locations that are primarily dedicated to warehousing and distribution of their locally-produced products.
Founded in 1967, Michigan-based Plastipak Packaging celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. Over the past half century, Plastipak has amassed over 700 United States patents for their technological advances in improving both operations and products. Total annual sales have topped $2.7 billion with an impressive 16.9% growth rate. Currently, the company is one of the largest global food-grade producers of recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) in the world. Their more than 6,000 employees are located in any one of their more than 60 production sites on 5 continents.
"We opened our Garland facility over 20 years ago to be close to our customers. The operational support that we've received from the City, Garland Power & Light and the local community college for our various training needs have been terrific," said Scott Ratzman, Regional Operations Manager at Plastipak Packaging.
Recently, Garland has seen a number of sizeable expansions across several key industries. Nutribiotech USA, a South Korean nutritional supplement manufacturer, announced a $100 million expansion of their U.S. headquarters in Garland last year and Digital Realty, the world's largest full scale data center operator, will be expanding with a $400 million addition to their already established $1 billion data center campus. Further, Germany's Kirchhoff Automotive just approved a $20 million expansion of its Garland operation to better fabricate automotive components for several of General Motors' Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac products.
The plastics industry cluster in Garland is quite robust with manufacturers including VPET USA, Inteplast Group, Bway Corporation, and Lesso America all currently producing in the community. VPET USA, a California-based company, opened their 170,000 square foot Garland facility in 2015 and Plastipak has nearly 900,000 square feet of space in the community that is dedicated to manufacturing, warehousing and distribution of their plastic products.
"Plastipak has been solidly growing in Garland for well over 20 years and we are very excited to see them expand their operations yet again. The plastics sector in the City has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years to the point that it is now one of our largest local industries," said David Gwin, Garland's Economic Development Director.


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Manchester United lost the Premier League title on the last day of the season in heartbreaking fashion, when rival Manchester City scored a last-minute goal to defeat Queens Park Rangers and clinch its first title ever in May. Man City's win prevented Manchester United from winning a second straight Premier League title--and record 20th overall--disappointing the team's 659 million fans around the world.
The Red Devils still lay claim to another title, though: The world's most valuable sports team. Forbes estimates Manchester United is now worth $2.23 billion, 19% more than No. 2 Real Madrid, which is worth $1.88 billion.
In Pictures: The World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams
Manchester United fans will once again get a chance to own a piece of the iconic club as the Glazer family filed plans this month for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The Glazers took the club private in 2005 in a leveraged buyout worth $1.47 billion. (The team traded on the London Stock Exchange before then.)
Don't expect to be picking the next manager if you buy shares. The Glazers intend to keep control of the club through a dual-class share structure in which the Glazers' stock will be worth 10 votes apiece, while investors will get one vote for each of their shares. Dual-class shares are unusual, but a number of high-profile companies, including Facebook, LinkedIn and The New York Times, use them to retain control while they sell ownership stakes to the public. With the offering, the team can reduce its hefty debt load, which stood at $663 million as of March.
Manchester United has a host of lucrative sponsorships in place. Insurer Aon pays $31 million a year to put its name on the team's jerseys in a deal that runs through 2014. Last year, DHL Express inked a four-year deal with the club worth a reported $62 million to sponsor Manchester United's practice jerseys. It is the first case of a practice jersey sponsorship deal for soccer in the U.K. Nike manages the team's merchandise sales and the agreement is worth a minimum of $39 million annually for Manchester United based on overall sales in a deal through 2015.
Soccer clubs hold the top two spots among the world's most valuable franchises, but it is American football teams that dominate the rest of the top 50. All 32 NFL teams made the cut, led by the Dallas Cowboys, worth $1.85 billion, tied with the New York Yankees for third overall. The Cowboys are the kings of the NFL thanks to their $1.2 billion stadium, which generates more than $100 million annually from premium seating and nearly $60 million from sponsors like AT&T, Bank of America, Ford Motor and PepsiCo.
The Washington Redskins rank No. 5 at $1.55 billion, despite finishing in the basement of the NFC East for four straight years. The Redskins have made the playoffs only three times since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999. Attendance at FedEx Field fell 7.5% last season, but still ranked fourth highest among NFL teams. The 'Skins generate $50 million annually from sponsors, including a 27-year, $207 million naming rights deal with FedEx. The Redskin are turning over the keys to the franchise to quarterback Robert Griffin III, who the club selected with the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Griffin won the 2011 Heisman Trophy while at Baylor.
The future looks even brighter for all NFL teams thanks to a new labor agreement, as well as a new round of TV contracts. The league and its players endured a four-month lockout last year, but no regular-season games were lost. The new collective bargaining agreement ensures labor peace for 10 years and gives owners a bigger piece of the pie, as players settled for a salary cap based on 48% of total revenues versus roughly 54% in previous years.
The NFL inked extensions to its TV deals with CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC last year. The nine-year deals (ESPN is for eight years) start with the 2014 season and are worth $5 billion a year collectively, a 62% bump on the prior contracts. The average NFL team is worth $1.04 billion.
Major League Baseball landed seven teams on the list (same as soccer), led by the Yankees. As Forbes pointed out in a cover story earlier this year, baseball is flush with TV money thanks to a boom among regional sports networks hungry for content. The Yankees' YES Network, which is 34% owned by the team, is the most profitable RSN in the U.S., generating more than $200 million in operating income last year. The team is also a cash cow, with $330 million in ticket revenue in 2011, including luxury suites. The Red Sox had the next highest gate at $190 million.
Basketball and Formula 1 both placed two teams among the 50 most valuable franchises. The Los Angeles Lakers jumped 13 spots and are now ranked No. 35 with a value of $900 million, up 40% from last year. As with baseball, revenue growth is tied to TV. The Lakers struck a deal with Time Warner Cable beginning with the 2012-13 season valued at an average of $200 million a year, compared to $35 million under their old agreement. Time Warner will show games on two regional sports channels, one in English and one in Spanish. The Lakers have by far the biggest audience on TV, averaging 258,000 households on Fox Sports West last year.
F1 powerhouse Ferrari ranks No. 15 with a value of $1.1 billion, up 3% from last year. Ferrari extended its $52 million-a-year sponsorship deal this year with Spanish bank Santander. This follows Ferrari's blockbuster extension last year with sponsor Marlboro worth as much as $500 million over three years. McLaren's value fell 2% this year to $800 million as main backer Vodafone is reviewing its sports sponsorship commitments. McLaren would be hard pressed to replace Vodafone at comparable levels. McLaren also faces the free agency of Lewis Hamilton, who is one of the most marketable drivers in the sport. Hamilton's contract expires at the end of 2012.
The List:
#1 Manchester United ($2.23 billion)
#2 Real Madrid ($1.88 billion)
#3 New York Yankees ($1.85 billion)
#3 Dallas Cowboys ($1.85 billion)
#5 Washington Redskins ($1.56 billion)
#6 Los Angeles Dodgers ($1.4 billion)
#6 New England Patriots ($1.4 billion)
#9 New York Giants ($1.3 billion)
Click here to see more of the Most Valuable Sports Teams
Follow me on Facebook or on Twitter.


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Bounce Houses and other inflatables are not allowed at any Whatcom County Parks
Show All Answers
Decorations may not be attached to the walls or wood work and should not make holes or cause damage to any surface. Smoke machines, fog machines, hazers, and candles are not allowed. Rice, birdseed, and confetti of any kid are prohibited. All decorations must be removed and cleaned up completely prior to leaving the site.
Pet must be leashed (maximum 8 feet) at all times, including in campgrounds and reserved picnic areas. Whatcom County Parks has one designated and marked off-leash area at Hovander Homestead Park.
Pets are prohibited in the following parks and locations:
Click here for all regulations on pets.
If you have reserved a picnic area or shelter, you can bring your own grill but you are responsible for the safe operation of your grill. Grills are prohibited on decks, walkways, or within 25 feet of any structure.
Noise from sound systems, speakers, bands, microphones or any other amplified sound must be at a volume such that it cannot be heard outside the area you have reserved.
Food TrucksFood Trucks for private functions are only allowed in the following circumstances:
Click here for the required insurance limits and documentation. Please email [email protected] with additional questions.
Customers are required to leave the facility in the same condition as when they arrived. Cleaning supplies are provided for indoor facilities. Garbage and recycling must be removed from the premises (must be taken from the park) unless the customer has paid the optional waste disposal fee.
The Alcohol Use Fee charged by Whatcom County Parks is not a liquor license. To find out if you need a State of Washington Banquet Permit please check here. It is your responsibility to research and follow all laws pertaining to alcohol use at your event.
Facility Rental Cancellation Policy.Cabin & Campground Cancellation Policy.
The billing address of the reservation holder must be in Whatcom County in order to receive in-county rates. If the credit card address is outside Whatcom County, but the customer is a County resident, they can:
Click here for all reservation policies.
You would need to apply for a Special Event Permit. Special Event Permits are required for any of the following situations:
For information on Special Event Permits and the application process please see our Special Events page.


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Welcome From Monterey Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sunde
Welcome. I'm glad you're here, and I look forward to assisting you with your goals. My medical specialty is plastic surgery. I provide individualized, state-of-the-art cosmetic and reconstructive treatments. My staff and I will make your experience as easy and comfortable as possible.
"I always knew I was in capable hands. Very capable hands."
See Verified Patient Reviews
Your Consultation
Personal attention to your needs and expert treatment are the hallmarks of our practice. During your initial consultation, I will personally see you. We will spend time together reviewing your medical history, examining the areas you wish to improve, and discussing your goals. I will help you to understand all of the treatment options available to you by explaining each procedure in detail.
A Word on Safety
For best results, it's important to choose a plastic surgeon who is properly trained. The operating facility also needs to meet strict safety standards. Choose a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, who operates only at fully accredited surgical facilities. Click to learn more.


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In this episode, I play not just an Xmas song but The Greatest Xmas Song Ever Written! I talk about struggling with resistance and depression; some people just hate you; work/life balance; the things you do are the things you value; the Mad at Dad podcast is all about me making Butler laugh; Patreon outrage, if it makes you cancel a pledge do what you got do, friend; I'm doing a webcomic project.
Here is the direct MP3 download for the Evil Genius Chronicles podcast, December 16 2017
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Support this show on Patreon
- Download the Greatest Xmas Song Ever Written
- Steven Pressfield's War of Art
- Mad at Dad Podcast
- Spoonbenders the Webcomic
- Auphonic podcast production tool is so good!
- Dog Days of Podcasting
NewSponsor: Audible.com! Go to audiblepodcast.com/egc for your free trial and free download!- Hover.com
is nowwas our sponsor: (Still) Use coupon code EGC to save 10% on domain registrations - Theme song provided by the Gentle Readers
- My Google+
You can subscribe to this podcast feed via RSS. To sponsor the show, contact BackBeat Media. Don't forget, you can fly your EGC flag by buying the stuff package. This show as a whole is Creative Commons licensed Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported. Bandwidth for this episode is provided by Cachefly.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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On Monday, forward Nikola Mirotic participated in the Chicago Bulls' practice session. While Mirotic was on the floor with Bobby Portis for the first time in almost six weeks, the two still have not talked since their altercation.
"There will have to be some interaction at some point obviously now that they're out there playing together," coach Fred Hoiberg told NBC Sports Chicago. "They'll be on the same team and playing against each other. So it is important to get those guys communicating, which I think we're all confident will happen."
On Oct. 17, Mirotic suffered fractures to his upper jaw and a concussion during the scuffle with Portis. Mirotic has let it be known that he wants out, if the Bulls keep Portis, however management has balked at his request. Mirotic is not eligible to be traded until Jan. 15.
Whenever Mirotic is cleared to play, he will have to compete against Portis for the backup power forward position. Currently, Hoiberg is starting rookie Lauri Markkanen at power forward.
-- Nick Silva


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Early details of it were leaked out last month, but Audio Damage has now officially announced its new Filterstation plug-in.
This is a serial/parallel/stereo dual filter that AD freely admit harks back to devices such as the Sherman Filterbank, and sports 12 filter algorithms, an envelope follower, saturation, and an easy-to-use interface.
A feature list is below: Filterstation is listed as 'coming soon' on the Audio Damage website and will be available in VST and AU formats.
Filterstation features
- • Twelve different filter algorithms, including two all-new MS20 emulations and our classic 914 bandpass and Filterpod lowpass models.
- • VCA mode for tremolo and gate effects.
- • LFO with twelve different patterns, and both internal and tempo sync modes.
- • Envelope follower for dynamic control of filter frequency.
- • Serial, parallel, and true stereo operating modes.
- • Sidechain input for external signal to envelope follower. (VST3 only.)
- • Easy-to use interface for quick programming.


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Ipass Loans is a website dedicated to reducing the time and frustration of getting a short term loan, even if the borrower has bad credit references. The website contains links to a range of lenders who work with borrowers who may have difficulty securing a traditional loan.
Ipass Loans is pleased to announce that its updated website contains information on several types of short term loans. The website provides all types of online loans with minimal application time and rapid financing of the loan application. Depending on the time of day, there is even funding available on the same day. People who have been denied credit by traditional lenders will find Ipass's services easy and convenient to use. Short-term loans include personal loans, payday loans, auto title loans, installment loans, cash advances, and loans for medical emergencies or other types of money-related emergencies. .
No matter how carefully a person budgets their income and expenses, urgent cash flow needs can arise. Examples include auto repairs, medical emergencies, and the like. Ipass helps match the specific needs of the borrower with the lender who can best meet those needs. The site brings together loans for people with poor credit and other short-term cash borrowing needs.
The loan amount depends on the type and particular circumstances of the borrower. As little as $ 100 or up to $ 5,000 are available from different lenders. There are types of loans that don't require collateral or co-signers, and many loans don't go through credit checks, making them especially attractive to people with disputed credit histories.
More information about the company is available at https://ipass.net/
An Ipass loan is convenient for several reasons. It is done entirely online. There is no need to take time off work or school. There is no need to leave home or office. Approval is quick, often within minutes. The customer service team is courteous and knowledgeable, able to answer questions accurately. The site contains all the information necessary to understand and apply for the type of loan best suited to the borrower's needs.
About the Site:
Ipass Loans offers payday loans and other types of loans to borrowers with credit problems. Because the application is submitted online, the whole process can be simplified and shortened. Lenders mainly work with these borrowers so the application process is simplified.
Media contact
Company Name: Ipass loans
Contact: Orville L. Bennett
E-mail: Send an email
Call: (+1) 369-258-147
Address:2711 N Haskell Ave # 1800
City: Dallas
State: TX 75204
Country: United States
Website: https://ipass.net/


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Day 7; What an Exciting Day!
by Steve Ray on May 4, 2011
This was a moving and intense day. No one got through the day untouched! There will be three parts. Here is Part I.
Part I: Audience with the Pope; Blessed John Paul II Museum (and tears).
Part II: The Main Churches in Rome — St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major & St. Paul Outside the Walls


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Total Download
Download (176) Reviews (3) Favorities (125)
This is Kitchen Sayings Quotes Embroidery Design - Machine Embroidery Pattern - Instant Download.
Included Designs are Kitchen Sayings Quotes Embroidery Design
Include Design are 7 Sizes (2.5''/3''/3.5''/4''/4.5''/5''/5.5'')- Mention In Given Picture
Included formats are : DST-PES-PEC-JEF-HUS-EXP-VP3-VIP-XXX
Design measurements and Color Chart are Given in Picture and Check all information before purchase this design
If you require another format please contact us.
Design support in Janome, Brother, Melco, Pfaff, Singer, Husqvarna Viking, Bernina, Ricoma and Many more Computerized Embroidery Machines.
INSTANT DOWNLOAD / designs are available for instant download. This is an embroidery file, it is a digital file. Not a patch. You must have an embroidery machine to use these designs.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a full refund is possible if you are not happy, just contact us.
Super beautiful! Thank you
Everything fine and according to my expectations.


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With stocks at 5-year highs and the bull market entering its fifth year, questions about how much longer the bull has to run are beginning to swirl.
Laszlo Birinyi, a renowned market analyst who was among the first to call the market bottom four years ago, says the bull market likely entered its fourth and final stage last summer. He calls this the "exuberance" period, saying that's when the "fireworks" happen.
In fact, both the first and last stages historically serve up the best returns.
"This is when all the people who have been reluctant and hesitant to invest in the stock market start realizing this isn't the New York City subway system," said Birinyi, president of research and money management firm Birinyi Associates. "There's not going to be another train coming so they better get on board."
So far, the S&P 500 has climbed almost 8% since the exuberance stage began. As more investors join in, Birinyi says those gains will only increase. In previous bull markets, the last stage has yielded an average increase of 40% for the S&P 500.
Related: Where will the next big bull market come from?
With the benchmark index just 5% away from its all-time high of 1,576.09 hit in October 2007, Birinyi says there's a strong likelihood that S&P 500 will soar to a new record high in 2013.
How long will it continue? That's a prediction that Birinyi is unwilling to make, noting that the market does not follow a calendar. He contends the bull market could last another year, or even two, depending on investor sentiment.
"When we see that everyone is bullish and is able to articulate it, we know the top is near," said Birinyi. "People are positive, but not quite bullish yet. Wall Street is forecasting a gain of 8% or 9% this year, not 15% or 20%."
CNNMoney's Fear & Greed Index, which looks at the VIX (VIX) and six other indicators to measure market sentiment, has been firmly in Extreme Greed mode since the start of the year. But just a month ago, the index was stuck in neutral.
Related: Why aren't investors scared?
Meanwhile, some experts are beginning to worry that the recent jump in U.S. stock market inflows by individual investors may be a sign that the bull market is nearing its end, as they are notoriously bad at timing the market -- usually coming in near the top.
But that may not be the case this time around, according to Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management.
"The difference this time is that we've seen such a massive outflow from stocks," noted Stone, highlighting that investors have yanked about $550 billion out of U.S. stocks between the start of 2008 through the end of 2012.
During the first two weeks of 2013, they've added almost $13 billion back.
"A couple of weeks of inflow is just a drop in the bucket, so you can't possibly make the case that we're at the point that we need to ring the warning bells and start to worry," he said. "There's still a lot of money out there to come back, and we're nowhere near the point where everyone is back to buying stocks."
Related: Beware the bond bubble in 2013
Rather than worrying about the end of the bull market in stocks, Stone says investors should be taking note of the red flags in the bond market.
As investors fled the stock market, they plowed more than $1 trillion into the bond market during the last five years.
Interest rates are near rock bottom, and with the economy continuing to improve, many Wall Street experts think the bond bubble may be about to burst.


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This is how to make a '˜silent call' to police in an emergency
Those who feel they are unable to speak to the 999 operator can make them aware that they are in trouble by pressing '55' on the phone keypad.
If you dial 999 but are unable to speak, keep the line open and listen carefully to what the emergency operator says.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAt the start of the call they will ask: "Emergency which service?"
If you do not respond they will then ask: "Do you need fire, police or ambulance?"
If you still do not respond the operator will say: "What number have you called please? I cannot release your line until you say that you do not need an emergency service"
And then: "If you are unable to speak but need an emergency service, please tap the handset, cough or make a noise".
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIf the operator does not get a response to any of the above questions but can hear background voices, they can connect the call to a system that asks you to press '55' on your keypad if you want the police.
Responding in one of the above ways will prompt the operator to quickly connect to the police.
This still doesn't mean the police know where you are, so try your best to get as much information to them as you can, so officers can be sent to help you.
In an emergency it can be safer and quicker to speak to a police call handler even if you have to whisper, but if there is no option but to make a silent call you must listen to the emergency call operator and respond to any instructions to ensure that your call is identified as an emergency, routed to the control room, and logged and dealt with appropriately.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdPolice do not recommend that anyone makes 999 calls silently - only when it is necessary.
Police call centre staff are skilled in seeking information from callers who may not be in a position to communicate effectively, so for example tapping the handset in a way that answers the call handler's questions can be utilised, or skilled use of closed questions (yes or no) enables the call handler to effectively get the most suitable response to the call.
The police call taker will do everything they can to assess the call, they will not always send a patrol - so it's important that you provide any information you can.
Each call is assessed based on the available information, including any previous calls to the police, but this still doesn't mean they will know where you are.
• To report a crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response, call 101.


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I went to the Miller Outdoor Theater with my daughter and her family of 4 sons to see the Houston Ballet . The grandsons were totally into the Hush performance. We all loved the score. The Miller Outdoor Theater is across the way from the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences and the Burke-Baker Planetarium. As we were driving by after the ballet, I remembered a story and asked my daughter if her dad had ever told her about being locked in the Museum of Natural Sciences building? Her answer was no, and the grandsons 15 and 16 were all ears.
1958 |
When the Hero was a freshman in college, he took a girl to the Burke-Baker Planetarium for a late showing of their Stars of Texas. As he said, with a twinkle, how romantic can you get, leaning back looking at the stars and not one mosquito. (LOL, will have to tell you the story about him and the mosquitoes)
I will pause here and explain that in order to get into the Planetarium, you have to go through the Museum of Natural Science entrance, the MofNS closes before the Planetarium.
The date was going well, they enjoyed the show. When it was over, they began to wander down the hall way looking at the pictures announcing future exhibits not watching the time. He thought he was cool, arm around the girl, talking intellectually. ; ) Then they got to the entrance and discovered it was locked with a chain. Now his date began to become upset, and he had find the security guard. His date was sure they would go to jail. They looked around and couldn't see anyone. The Hero thought that logically the security offices should be downstairs. Downstairs they went, but no offices, now the date is becoming really upset and the hero had to step up his efforts to find the guard. (My 15 year old grandson inserted here... upset...why? that would be so cool... can you tell he's an off spring of his grandfather) They searched for about 30 minutes before the security guard found them. There were a lot of questions, but the guard quickly assessed they were silly kids on a date gone wrong. He let them out the side entrance. The Hero said he took his date home, but that was their last date. He couldn't understand why she thought he had done it on purpose. (Snicker)


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My 08 mb, OSX Mt Lion, crashed so I bought new 2012 MBPr. Luckily, I backed everything up. Migrated everything from 08mb over to new MBPr. I noticed that when I deleted files, it skipped the trash can. My home folder did not have me as admin with RW permissions so I had to add myself and give myself RW access.
Before, when I opened iTerm (similar to Terminal), it would say computer name:~ username$
. Now, I see an odd hexadecimal name for my computer.
How do I change the hexadecimal code to my computer name?
Is this the correct default permissions for Home folder?


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A look at the best tweets from the world of UFC. Follow @ufc, the list of official UFC accounts, and the list of UFC fighters to keep up with these guys and gals.
The Catchphrase That Will Never Die
Let me bang, bro! #mma #ufc #tuf -Gilbert Jamal Smith
I do let u bang!! l hkbm -Clint Hester
Did Someone Say Bang?
Someone wants to attend the upcoming @BANGMuayThai seminar in Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/r5DaxzOIaX -Duane Ludwig
Tweets About Cats
Please don't forget to bombard @IKEVF with pictures of your cat today. Also #FF that awesome bastard :-) pic.twitter.com/4rFlVhITeg -Julie Kedzie
MUST HAVE pic.twitter.com/CHomfE5CT4 -Daron Cruickshank
My wife just told me to take the cats to the vet... We still have cats ? -Forrest Griffin
Now, Did You Just Summon a Cocktail Waitress?
Raise your hand if you live in Vegas? -Kelvin Gastelum
He's Talking About a Movie… Probably
Holy crap I just watched @CungLe185 rip a dudes arm off! We should all be thankful that isn't in the unified rules -Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Danny Didn't Order the Whine
Cutting weight is part of the job description.
Ive seen 10-year-old boys put plastics on, cut 4 pounds & not say a word. #ManTheFUp -Danny Castillo
Charmed Life
Believe it or not, this is considered "work" http://instagram.com/p/Y0wOqsBEWt/
-Ronda Rousey
J-Lau Just Gave Us the Finger
It might be sprained... #stupidfinger http://instagram.com/p/Y0aOACqb67/ -Joe Lauzon
Albuquerque is Surreal
Random/creepy Albuquerque park table decoration. #landofenchantment http://instagram.com/p/YybKXisTYG/ -Quinn Mulhern
Mayor McCreepy
I love the fact that I can walk around Costa Mesa and get so much love from random people. Shop owners to HS kids always make me smile -Ian McCall
Gangsters and Murderers
The real man talk face to face! http://youtu.be/5xir5HN24e8 quero ver se vai matter a disposicao no cara!!! Lets go!!! -Wanderlei Silva
Or "real men ramble incoherently face to face, and occassionally one of them nods and smiles to be nice." @wandfc -Chael Sonnen
On the street, me. in the sand, hasslehoff. RT @rickdawson88: who would win in a fight between @DavidHasselhoff or @ryanbader? -Ryan Bader
Kick Everyone and They Won't Notice Your Hair
My wife just took a chunk out of my hair. pic.twitter.com/dZ87D9fdDg -Duane Ludwig
'Cause it's a Good Cause
Help vets with traumatic brain injury or PTS by following @MakeItVisible -UFC
UFC Performance Institute
Dana White On The Opening Of UFC PI Mexico


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Home | Reviews | Extras | Forums |
Ghost Sweeper MikamiSynopsisA company dealing with the occult, led by the penny-pinching redhead entrepreneur, Mikami, goes on all manner of misadventures under the guise of ghost-busting "missions". Along the way, Mikami imperiously tramples all over the rest of the hapless cast. ReviewThink Phantom Quest Corp, but instead of your lovable cast of characters, substitute a bunch of Urusei Yatsura and Yu Yu Hakusho rejects, and you get Ghost Sweeper Mikami. Seriously. Okay, as you can see, we really didn't care for this series. It doesn't help that we had seen Phantom Quest long before stumbling upon GS Mikami, and therefore had some expectations of quality from this show. Mikami, in Japan, had overshadowed PQC by virtue of being a television series rather than an OAV (something that, unfortunately, doomed US-only fan-favorite Phantom Quest from the start), not to mention their similar plotlines. Ghost Sweeper Mikami also predated PQC by a few months, so people assumed they were the same thing (and occasionally still do). And they are very similar, albeit superficially. However, Mikami has serious shortcomings that only highlight why Phantom Quest Corps is so much better. Most of those lie with the main character of the series: Mikami and Ayaka Kisaragi may share red hair and a penchant for the occult, but the similarities end there. Whereas Ayaka, though an incorrigible lush and a spendthrift, is kind-hearted, charming, fun, AND competent; Mikami comes off as brash, backstabbing, and thoroughly unlikable. She forces others to do all the grunt work (for under-grunt pay), only to come in when the monster/demon of the day is weakened, slay the beast, take all the credit, and the money with it. Ayaka may be a procrastinator and a flake about payment of employees, but Mikami is downright mean. Not to mention the really ugly character design, all sharp, straight lines - who thought THAT up?!? The supporting cast, too, is substandard, seeming to have been culled from various other series. Yokoshima is, well, a carbon copy of Ataru Moroboshi, and not nearly as cool. Okinu-chan, apart from being a ghost, is your typical ditz-in-a-nutshell (think wannabe Botan), and the others are unremarkable at best. Nothing like PQC, where even the most minor characters are surprisingly memorable. The music is pretty forgettable, the animation second-rate even for a television series, and the plotlines ... well, they're often so stupid, they're not even funny anymore. (And what do ghosts need with money, anyway?) Ghost Sweeper Mikami may have stolen the limelight from its younger sister series back in the early '90s, but not too many fans these days have heard of it, and for a reason. It's actually a pretty mediocre series that, while diverting for maybe a couple episodes, really wears out its welcome fast. The problem, though, is with Mikami herself - she's a spoiled, ugly brat who wants to be heard so badly, she screams and wails, only to find out no one really wants to listen to her after all. If only they'd had a likable main character, maybe this could've been a really good series, but as is, Mikami just doesn't deserve the attention it once had, and it hasn't aged well since, either. For a truly good occult comedy, try Phantom Quest Corps or Haunted Junction instead. Those are light years better than this stale series. Enough good jokes to avoid the bottom rung of the ladder, but it doesn't climb nearly high enough. There's so many better series out there that cover the same ground. — Carlos/Giancarla Ross Recommended Audience: Well, Yokoshima's a pervert, so situations warranting that are going to have to exist. The occult themes may tick off some parents, but I'd rather take offense at the low level of entertainment to be had from this thing. Nothing too offensive to prevent older children and above from watching this, but it's pretty stupid stuff to subject anyone to. Version(s) Viewed: digital source Review Status: Partial (4/45) Ghost Sweeper Mikami © 1993 Toei |
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